Answers
by bbtarheel14
Summary: Post 6x23 - My take on what happened to Castle on his way to the Hamptons to marry Beckett. First FanFic so reviews welcome - be gentle and courteous as I will be courteous in my responses. Disclaimer: A.M. & Company own Castle and all its characters. I only own the DVDs, books, a couple of posters, and some signed photos! I gain no financial benefits from this work of fiction.
1. The Accident

**Chapter 1: The Accident**

Kate didn't say anything. She just dropped her phone and ran for the front door. The Rolls Royce and driver were waiting in the driveway as planned. She ran to the car and told the driver where to take her – she had to get to the accident and Rick. How could this be happening? she thought as they made their way to Rick. He had to be okay – this was their happy ending – he had to be okay.

By the time Kate arrived at the scene of the accident emergency responders were in full force. She tried desperately to get to the Mercedes he had been driving that was now in the ditch and on fire but the fire crew wouldn't let her leave the embankment. She wanted to cry – needed to cry – but she was in shock and felt as if this was a bad dream.

Lanie, Javier, and Kevin arrived minutes after Kate. They all ran to her side and looked down to see Rick's car on fire. They couldn't believe what they were witnessing and all thoughts went to Kate. How was she going to handle losing the love of her life? She had been through so much in her short 35 years of life. Would she be able to make it back from this one though?

Lanie hugged Kate as they watched the fire fighters put the flames out. Javier and Kevin were already in cop mode and discussing the incident with the first responders. They had to get answers for Kate. That was the only way she would be able to move on. She was like a sister to them and they had to be strong for her.

As soon as the fire was out Kate made her way down the embankment – she had to see him – she had to know if he was there. Steeling herself she made it to the driver's side and peered in the window. Nothing! There was nothing there – no body – nothing! He was alive! Where could he be? She finally cried – tears of joy that he wasn't in the car when it caught on fire.

Lanie, Javier, and Kevin all started to cry as well – thinking that Rick was in the car and that Kate was crying from loss. When she made it back up to them she was surprised to see them crying. "Why are you crying?" she asked. "He wasn't in the car when it caught on fire. We need to find him!" Javier and Kevin understood her words before Lanie and ran down the embankment to see for themselves.

Once confirmed that there was no one in the Mercedes when it caught on fire everyone started searching the scene for a body. He had to be here – he was probably thrown from the car and lying hurt somewhere. After an hour of searching and finding no trace of Rick they started treating the accident as an abduction and moved to the next phase of their investigation.

Technically the Hampton Police Department had jurisdiction but Chief Brady knew Kate from their previous case a summer ago and knew that she would not sit idly by while his small department investigated. Besides, he was a Caskett fan and had wanted nothing more than to see them married today like everyone else. Chief Brady also knew that the resources of the NYPD would be much more extensive than his.

Javier called Capt Gates, who was at Rick's Hampton house waiting with all the other guests for the wedding, and filled her in on what had happened. Capt Gates immediately authorized resources from the 12th Precinct to aid Capt Brady in his investigation. Kate was on her phone that Lanie had brought with her to the scene explaining to Martha and Alexis what was going on. The guests had been updated as soon as Kate had phoned Martha and Alexis and they had all left with words of encouragement for the family – hoping that Rick would be found alive and well soon. Kevin was calling a CSU team from the 12th Precinct to collect any and all evidence they could find.

CSU arrived within a couple of hours and started their process for gathering evidence. They were able to discover that tire tracks from another vehicle were left on the side of the road where Rick's car had gone into the ditch. They also discovered marks that looked like someone had been dragged up the embankment that ended at the tire marks. Kevin and Javier were trying to collect any camera footage they could along the route that they knew Castle had been driving. Everyone worked through the night determined to help Kate and Rick have their happy ending. Castle was a part of the 12th now and they treated him like he was one of theirs. No stone would be left unturned.

Kate, Lanie, Javier, and Kevin returned to Rick's Hampton house around 1AM the next morning. They were exhausted but determined to find Rick. Once Martha, Alexis, Jim, Jenny, and Capt Gates were filled in on what CSU had discovered they decided to grab a few hours of sleep and some food before heading back to NY. Martha and Alexis were going to stay in the Hamptons a little longer in case Capt Brady turned something up that needed immediate attention. Kate felt bad for leaving them but they all knew she needed to get back to the precinct in order to help the investigation.

CSU was working around the clock to find anything that could lead them to Castle's location. They had discovered that the tire marks belonged to a 2013 Cadillac Escalade. Kate, Javier, Ryan, and Tori were processing all the camera footage they had been able to recover from the route they knew Castle had been traveling. A few hours into watching endless footage, Kate and Tori noticed a black Cadillac Escalade following Rick's Mercedes. Fortunately I-495 E was a direct route between the city and the Hamptons so they had plenty of coverage. Unfortunately the SUV did not have any license plates on it so they were unable to run it through DMV to locate an owner. The hard part now was going to be looking at all the footage they could gather after the time of the accident in the direction the SUV was discovered traveling.


	2. The Perfect Couple

**Chapter 2: The Perfect Couple**

Ellen couldn't believe how easy her plan had been. She had been working on this for a year but what is one year in the scheme of a lifetime. She would have the happy ending, she would be his muse, she would be the one he professed his love for – not Detective Kate Beckett. They weren't made for each other. They made no sense on paper. She was better suited for him. She was from his circle. They had more in common – he just hadn't met her yet – at least not in a meaningful way.

She had brown hair and blue eyes just like Castle. She wasn't as tall as Detective Beckett, standing at only 5'6", but what man wouldn't want to stand well above his wife – protect her. She was in decent shape – not as fit as Detective Beckett – but neither was Castle. Already she had proof that physically they were a better fit than Castle and Beckett – Caskett. Caskett – how she hated that moniker. Her last name was Bastion – as in another name for Castle. What could be more perfect?

They had met many times and she remembered every single occurrence. He wrote to her in every book. He would always sign them personally to her – she knew he liked her because not everyone got a personal note from him. They even lived in the same apartment building. She was fortunate to have come across the listing for an apartment in his building a year ago. She had paid more than the listing price because there was already an offer on the apartment and she couldn't let it slip through her fingers. Her apartment was only one floor below his. How could they not be meant for each other?

Each apartment had a storage room in the basement of the building and this is where she decided to make their "love nest." At least until she could guarantee that they would be together forever and that Kate Beckett was out of the picture permanently. It took a year but she was able to make the necessary changes to her storage room with no one noticing the construction. It had a bathroom and a bedroom. It was soundproof. She would bring the necessary food and drink to him until she could actually let him into her apartment for good. Loose ends had to be tied up first.

The hard part had been discovering when and where the wedding was supposed to occur. They had been careful not to offer up exact information to the media because they wanted a private, intimate affair. Fortunately Ellen had been on the elevator the same time as Martha and Alexis when they were discussing Rick and Kate's wedding. She couldn't believe her good fortune and took it as a sign that she and Rick were meant to be together. From their conversation she was able to put the final touches of her plan together and knew exactly when and where she needed to be.

When the day arrived she had the Escalade waiting outside the apartment building and watched for Rick to leave the underground parking garage. Once he pulled out into traffic she followed him at a distance waiting until they were in a more secluded place so she could minimize the chance for witnesses. Twenty minutes from his Hampton house Ellen made her move. She sped up and acted like she was going to pass him on the two-lane road. Once she was beside him she forced him off the road and into a ditch.

Stopping quickly at the scene of the accident she went down to the Mercedes and noticed Rick was dazed but awake. She acted as if her actions had all been a mistake and not intentional. She helped him get out of his car and up the embankment beside her Escalade and as he was pulling his cell phone out of his pocket to call for help she stuck the syringe in his neck. She was able to maneuver him into her vehicle, buckle him in the passenger seat, and drive off quickly. Her plan was working and she was convinced they would be a perfect couple!

Two and a half hours later she was pulling into the underground garage at the apartment complex and was able to get Rick out of the car, onto a gurney, and into the soundproof storage room that belonged to her. Once she had him secured she quickly returned to the Escalade, wiped it down, put the license plates back on, and drove it back to the rental company she had rented it from. From the rental company she took the subway back to Soho.

She went to her apartment and checked the news for any report on Rick Castle. There wasn't much yet but she knew eventually there would be more. In the meantime she prepared dinner and took a tray down to Rick. She didn't want her future husband to go hungry. She knew he would still be under the influence of the drugs she gave him at the crash site but what she had prepared was just as good cold as it was warm. He would enjoy her cooking. Of course she laced the food with Rohypnol so he wouldn't be combative and would submit to her wishes easier.


	3. The Search

**Chapter 3: The Search**

Detectives Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan with the help of Tori discovered that the Escalade had made its way back to New York City. They lost track of the SUV once it got into the Soho part of town. Beckett and her team finally had something to work with and they weren't wasting any time. They were canvassing the area where the SUV was last seen on camera – going store to store gathering any information and/or video coverage they could.

Capt Gates had already informed the FBI of the abduction and Special Agent Jordan Shaw was assigned the case. SA Shaw's team was setting up their command center in the conference room when Beckett and the boys returned from their canvas. They had not found any witnesses (not that they expected to) but they did have some additional video to sort through.

Jordan approached Kate when they returned asking, "How are you holding up?" "I was extremely happy to hear that you and Castle were engaged and my team and I will do everything we can to help you find him." "Thanks." was all Kate could manage at the time. She was trying very hard to be Detective Beckett and not Kate Beckett, fiancée of Rick Castle. She had to keep her emotions in check for multiple reasons. None of which excluded the desperation she felt at the potential loss of her "one and done."

Jordan understood Kate's demeanor and was not put off by the brisk manner in which she answered her questions. "Okay team, let's get caught up on what Detective Beckett and her team have thus far and throw all of our efforts into locating Mr. Castle." Jordan stated while walking to the conference room with Kate.

After the update from the team, Jordan had her tech folks start the process of sorting through the new video that was recovered during the canvas in Soho. Within minutes they were able to determine that the SUV was a rental and where it had been rented from. Beckett and Shaw immediately left to question the rental company about the SUV.

At Auto Biz Rental, Kate and Jordan were able to locate the SUV in question and had the name of the customer who had rented it during the time covering Castle's abduction. A CSU team was called in to process the SUV in the hopes of finding fingerprints, fiber, etc. – anything that would lead them to Castle's whereabouts. Once the CSU team arrived Kate turned the vehicle over to them.

By the time Kate and Jordan returned to the 12th, Jordan's team was already running down any information they could find on the customer who rented the SUV. Unfortunately all searches lead to a dead end. As suspected the customer information was bogus and she had paid in cash for the rental so they had no way of running checks on her banking information. They did have a fake driver's license from the rental company so they started running a face recognition program in the hopes that she was on file with any government agency. It was getting late and the tech team said it would take a while to run the facial recognition software so Kate decided she needed to return to the loft and update Martha and Alexis.

Arriving at the loft Kate felt at a complete loss for the first time since Castle's abduction. She expected to see him when she walked in busy in the kitchen preparing some new concoction. Unfortunately she only had two scared women staring at her when she walked in. Taking a deep breath, removing her coat and shoes, Kate sat with them on the couch and explained where the investigation had led thus far. Since there was no contact from the kidnapper, the team had no idea who had taken Rick other than it was female who appeared to be in her early 30s. There was hope and she knew that Castle's family was strong, would do anything necessary to get him back safely, and finally make this wedding happen.

Kate left Alexis and Martha on the couch commenting that she was exhausted and needed some rest before heading back to the precinct first thing in the morning. She promised to update them as often as she could and disappeared into their bedroom.

Kate thought it was funny how she thought of the loft as her home, as Alexis and Martha as her family, and as Rick as her husband although it wasn't legally recognized yet. She had known Castle for six years now, they had been through so much, and they had always been there for each other. Sure they had suffered through dead end relationships, communication problems, and loss but it all made their relationship stronger. She was certain they would get through this. They had to have their happy ending.

She went through her normal nighttime routine when it suddenly hit her that Rick wasn't there next to her doing his routine as well. She missed the metrosexual man and how it took him longer to get ready for anything than it did her. Finishing up she turned the bathroom lights out and climbed into bed. She hugged his pillow for any connection she could find and drifted off to sleep only due to sheer exhaustion. Her last thought before succumbing to sleep was that tomorrow had to be better. They had to find that needle in the haystack.


	4. The Prisoner

_A/N: In response to lb's question about how any woman in shape could get a drugged Castle up a hill. Castle wasn't drugged until after he made it up the embankment with Ellen's help. He was only dazed from the accident at that point. She drugged him once he was next to the SUV. Thanks for the responses and comments from all – greatly appreciated._

**Chapter 4: The Prisoner**

Rick woke up and was confused as to his location, the time, or the day. His head really ached and he was thirsty. He noticed the water bottle on a tray next to him and as he reached for the bottle he realized his left hand was chained to the bed. Rick started to panic and bolted upright trying to figure out where he was.

The last thing he remembered was calling Kate to tell her he was 20 minutes away from the Hamptons house and that he loved her. Then he vaguely remembered a black SUV that appeared to be passing him on the two-lane road but then swerved causing him to drive over an embankment. After that he thinks someone helped him up the hill and then everything went black.

He realized he was still in his tuxedo and that he had the dissolution of marriage paperwork for Kate's teenage mistake and their current marriage license in his inside chest pocket. He searched his other pockets for anything else. There was nothing – no cell phone, no keys, no pocket knife. Ever since he and Kate were subdued by Maddox in the office building that held Mr. Smith's secret safe he made sure he kept a pocket knife on him. You never knew when one would come in handy especially with the predicaments he and Kate found themselves in almost daily.

Rick called out many times for help but there was no response at all. As a matter of fact he realized he couldn't hear anything outside of the room he was in either. He thought that was unusual because normally you could hear something from the outside world no matter where you were. He had never been in any location that was completely devoid of outside noises.

Realizing that he was going to have to wait for his abductor(s) to show themselves he spent his time trying to find anything he could pick the lock on the shackle that had him secured to the bed. He drank water slowly not knowing when he'd have more and he cautiously picked at the food to give him some energy but he was afraid to over indulge although at this point the small breakfast he had was long gone.

Rick heard the door opening and was preparing himself to be met by some sinister looking man. He was surprised when Ellen walked through the door securing it after her with a key she kept on a chain around her neck. At first he thought he had to be dreaming. Why would a woman that looked and acted like her be involved in his abduction? He had a lot of questions but he wanted to wait for her to begin.

After a few moments of silence Ellen approached Castle and asked him if he needed anything. When Castle didn't respond she started to get angry. "You know it's rude to not answer someone when they are being polite," Ellen said. Castle found his voice and asked, "Why am I here?" Ellen laughed at his simple question. "I'm trying to save you from making the biggest mistake of your life," she responded. "Who are you?" Castle asked.

Ellen sat in the chair next to the bed Castle was chained to and began to tell him about how they were the perfect couple and he needed to give up on the idea that Detective Beckett was his "always." Castle shuddered to think that this woman thought they were perfect for each other when he didn't even know her. Ellen explained that she lived in his building, was his number one fan, and that Detective Beckett (as well as all the other women he dated) were only interested in him for his money. Castle started to deny the comment about Beckett but saw that Ellen quickly angered when he talked about Kate in a positive light at all.

Castle figured out quickly that Ellen was not mentally stable but if he had any hope of getting out of here he had to placate her. He silently wondered how he attracted these deranged fans. Emma Riggs had been a fan and he was accidentally shot by her while trying to help her prove her innocence. Now he had to face a new level of crazy. He decided his best course of action was to get Ellen to divulge as much as he could in order to hopefully come up with an escape plan.

Ellen continued talking about how she had every book he wrote and had waited in line to have every one signed. She commented that she knew they were meant to be because he had personalized every signing to her. He was certain he used one of his canned signatures but he wasn't going to correct her. She also told him her last name was Bastion which was another indicator they were perfect for each other since his last name was Castle. Finally she divulged that she had been living in his apartment building for the past year just a floor below and that she took great pains to make her storage facility in the basement their "love nest." He now had the biggest piece of information he needed to formulate an escape plan.

To his surprise Ellen pulled out a digital camera and told him she was going to send Detective Beckett a picture of him so she would know that he had voluntarily left her at the altar. In her mind seeing him relaxed on a bed in his tux would send a clear message to Beckett that he missed their wedding on purpose. To any normal person this would seem idiotic but Castle figured he could send a message to her through the photo. Ellen took the picture and then left making sure she secured the room back. Within minutes of returning to her apartment upstairs she e-mailed the photo to Detective Beckett's work account.


	5. Signs

**Chapter 5: Signs**

Detective Beckett was sitting at her desk when the alert popped up on her computer notifying her she had a new e-mail. Not recognizing the sender's address she almost deleted it but figured it was someone she had given her contact information to anyway since her work e-mail was not public knowledge.

When she opened the e-mail and read the text she immediately opened the attachment and her heart skipped a beat. In the picture was Rick in his tux lying on a bed in a nondescript room. Her first thought was at least he's alive but then she started to scour the image for anything that might let her know where he was being held. She noticed his left hand was shackled to the bed but could not find anything else that would lead them to a specific location. Then she saw his hands and noticed he had his left hand palm down over top his right thumb. She knew he was trying to send her a message but she wasn't sure what he was trying to say.

She printed off the image and the e-mail to put on the white board. She gave Ryan the e-mail address from the sender to see if he could track down the culprit. Then she forwarded the e-mail to Tori to see if she could work her tech magic and figure out where the e-mail was sent from.

Ryan had no luck in identifying the sender through the e-mail address because they had used Guerilla Mail (a one-time use e-mail generator). Tori, however had better success and was able to find the IP address. Fortunately Ellen was not computer savvy enough to know how to spoof certain information. The IP address was the break they needed. Shaw's team had excellent resources and software. Once they put the IP address in the Info Sniper program they had coordinates. They resolved to Soho at Castle's apartment building.

Detective Beckett and SA Shaw assembled a group of agents and police officers to head to the location. Everyone arrived at the apartment building within 20 minutes. Detective Beckett went up to Brian, the doorman, with a copy of the driver's license the woman used to rent the SUV and asked him if he'd seen her before. He told Kate her name was Ellen Bastion and she lived in apartment 401. Detective Beckett then found the building manager and asked for the master key to that apartment showing the warrant they had obtained to search the entire building if necessary.

Teams were quickly divided up amongst the group that was waiting for further instructions. Detectives Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan were one team and they took the elevator up to the 4th floor. SA Shaw and two other agents maintained control of the lobby and main entrance. Three officers from the 12th covered the exit to the alley. A team of two FBI agents took the stairs up to the 4th floor and met up with the detectives.

Detective Beckett knocked on apartment 401 announcing themselves. There was no response. She used the master key the building manager had given her to enter the apartment. Using their typical tactical maneuvers the group quickly determined that neither Ellen nor Castle were there. Kate's team was sure all of their leads had led them to the right location and were setting up 24-hour surveillance when Kate kept thinking they were missing something. She couldn't believe that the location was in Castle's building. He was practically right under them. That thought was all she needed – Rick had been signing basement in the photo. He had been in the basement of the apartment building they lived in all this time.

The team quickly made it back to the main entrance and informed SA Shaw of their suspicions. SA Shaw joined Detective Beckett's team and the four of them descended the stairs to the basement. Quickly fanning out to cover the entire space they all converged on a door that looked new and had a deadbolt lock on it. Detective Ryan leaned against the door to see if he could hear anything. He shook his head at the others indicating he heard nothing. SA Shaw had her tech come in with camera equipment and a handheld x-ray machine to scan the door to determine if it was rigged with any explosives and to see if they could get a look inside without breaching the door first.

The x-ray was negative for any explosives or booby traps. The camera showed a woman sitting on a chair next to a bed that had a man lying on it. This was the place. They had found him. Detective Esposito positioned himself in front of the door and on the count of three kicked the door open. The others quickly entered, secured Ellen Bastion and released Rick from his shackle. Shaw, Esposito, and Ryan cleared out taking a handcuffed Ellen with them as they read her the standard Miranda rights.

Once the others were gone Kate quickly hugged Rick asking him if he was okay. He admitted that he was groggy and weak but getting much better now that she had found him. Kate kissed him gently and helped him to his feet. They made their way back to the lobby to meet up with the others. They had to get back to the 12th to process Ellen Bastion and get Castle's statement. On the way to the precinct Kate called Alexis and Martha letting them know they had Rick, he was safe, and they would be home as soon as they could to fill them on everything.


	6. Statements

**Chapter 6: Statements**

Once Beckett and Castle arrived at the precinct Castle was taken into the conference room and gave his statement about the events of his abduction. Kate sat with Rick while he recounted the events of that day to the agent who was tasked with getting it all down. Kate was a fiancée at this point and not a detective and didn't want to be anywhere else but beside Rick.

Rick started his statement with his last phone call to Kate explaining that he was 20 minutes away from the Hamptons house. He told the agent about seeing the black SUV and it running him off the road. He remembered being helped out of his car and up the embankment. The last thing he remembered was pulling his phone out to call for help and then he woke up chained to the bed in the room they found him in just an hour ago.

He then went on to describe what happened while he was detained in that room. He gave every detail about the conversations that Ellen had with him and her determination to erase Kate from his thoughts by talking about how they were perfect for each other. Rick stated he knew she was mentally unstable and had placated her as much as he could because she would become physically upset anytime he tried to explain how much he loved Kate. The agent took everything down and then left to get it all typed up so Rick could sign the official forms.

By the time Rick was finished giving his statement to the authorities Ellen was back from processing and waiting in interrogation room one. Ryan and Esposito were preparing for their time with her when Rick and Kate walked out of the conference room. Kate wanted to go in with them but knew that would not help their case against Ellen because she was so personally invested. She and Rick decided to watch from the observation room instead.

Ryan and Esposito entered the interrogation room and laid their folders down on the table across from Ellen. She was calm, almost defiant. No one spoke for a few minutes, just staring at each other, sizing each other up. Finally Ryan asked, "Why did you abduct Richard Castle?" Ellen smirked and replied, "I didn't abduct him. I freed him from a life of pending misery." Esposito then said, "Taking someone against their will is abduction. Richard Castle did not go with you willingly therefore you abducted him."

At this point Ellen just started talking without any more prompting from Ryan or Esposito. She explained how she had been working on this for a year, bought the apartment in the same building to be close to Rick, listening in on Martha and Alexis' conversation in the elevator and finding out when and where the wedding was supposed to take place. From there she talked about using the fake driver's license to rent the SUV in the hopes of preventing anyone from finding out her true identity once she had Rick with her. Everything was recorded and would be written up for her to sign later so the detectives just let her talk.

Through her diatribe they discovered that she had come from a wealthy family. She was the only child of pharmaceutical developers. She had even gone to college and earned degrees in Biology and Chemistry in order to continue in the family business. Her parents were killed in a car accident three years ago and it appears that is when her life took a drastic turn. Overwhelmed with grief and loss she slowly started pulling away from work, friends, and life in general. She sold the company her parents had built for a handsome price and was living off of that money.

Ellen eventually became infatuated with the writings of Richard Castle. She read everything he wrote and got all of his books signed to her by him. At some point she started believing that he was writing all of these works of fiction to her and the "personal" signatures on the inside cover of these books was his shy way of letting her know he cared deeply for her. It then became her mission to make sure they were together forever and when the announcement of his and Kate Beckett's engagement came out on Page Six she completely lost it and decided he was being coerced into this marriage and she had to save him.

Rick and Kate walked out of the observation room at the same time Ellen was being taken back to holding. Rick couldn't believe what he had just heard and he had to ask one question of her. He approached Ellen and quietly asked her in front of Kate and the boys why she left the marriage papers on him when she had obviously taken everything else out of his pockets. Ellen just looked at him and calmly replied, "I wanted you to have proof of what I had saved you from. Detective Beckett has only ever been after your fame and fortune. She doesn't love you like I do and never will."

For a moment Kate thought about responding to that but she actually felt sorry for what Ellen had gone through in her life and decided to let it go. How do you reason with insanity anyway? In some ways they were alike. They had both lost a parent (but in Ellen's case she had lost both of her parents), they both had been saved in a way by the words of Richard Castle, and they both loved him (although Kate's was a true love while Ellen's was twisted).

Ryan and Esposito then took Ellen back to holding and Rick turned to Kate apologizing for everything that had happened. Kate quickly stopped him and let him know that none of it was his fault. They both wondered how many more "fans" would pop up in their lives but they both knew they could get through anything as long as they had each other. Life is never easy but when you're in it with the right person you'd be amazed at how much you can get through. With that thought they said goodbye to everyone and headed for the loft. They had two other ladies that wanted answers and it was time to give them some.


	7. The Wedding Take 2

_A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I was nervous how my writing would be received as I've never written a FanFic before. This is the last chapter in this story for me. Hopefully I close it well enough for all of you. I do have thoughts on another story for the Castle series but don't know when I'll have time to write it. In the meantime - best wishes to all of you.  
_

**Chapter 7: The Wedding Take 2 **

Kate and Rick made it back to the loft that evening and filled Martha and Alexis in on everything. After tears, laughter, hugs, and a celebratory dinner everyone said their good nights and went to their rooms. Kate was determined that Rick was not going to leave her sight until they were finally married. There had been enough drama in their relationship and she wanted her happy ending. They deserved their happy ending.

The next morning, while making breakfast, the four of them discussed organizing the wedding again so that they could put all of this behind them and so Kate and Rick could start the next phase of their lives together. Kate and Rick only had one request – that the wedding be within the next week. They didn't want to wait any longer.

Alexis called Lanie to see if she was available for lunch. They had maid of honor and best man duties to take care of and the sooner they started the better. The two met at Remy's around noon and over burgers, fries, and shakes started organizing all the details of getting the wedding planned for the following week.

They had decided to have it at the Hamptons house as originally planned. Alexis and Martha contacted all the guests over the next few days to give them the new date and time with strict instructions that it was to remain private. Flowers and food were ordered again from the previous suppliers and they got them at a discount considering the events of the first wedding were out of anyone's control. Judge Markaway cleared his calendar on the day of the wedding so he could officiate as previously planned.

Alexis took care of the tuxes for her dad, Jim Beckett, Ryan and Esposito and had them delivered to the Hamptons house. Lanie had already taken care of getting Kate's dressed cleaned and mended and had it delivered to the Hampton house as well. The DJ was booked again and everything was falling into place.

Alexis, Martha, and Lanie took care of everything so that Kate and Rick could just concentrate on showing up. They'd had enough stress and it only seemed fair to try and ease some of their anxiety of trying to pull a wedding together in a week's time. Kate and Rick spent each day together at work and then back at the loft in the evenings keeping a close eye on each other. No one else was going to surprise them and ruin this a second time.

Rick had already been able to reschedule the private island he and Kate had originally planned to use for their three week honeymoon last time. It helped being friends with the owner!

Two days before the big event was to take place the wedding party made their way up to the Hamptons. Kate and Rick had tried to go the "traditional" route before but decided they weren't going to spend one night apart until after they were man and wife. No one disagreed with that decision.

When the day of the wedding arrived the house was a bustling hive of worker bees everywhere! The set up crew arrived promptly at 8AM and set up the back yard with chairs, tents, and tables. The caterers arrived at 10AM and set up for the wedding lunch they had prepared. They also brought extra so the wedding party could munch as they got ready and supervised all the work being done that morning. Flowers arrived at 11AM.

By the time everything was done they had an hour until Kate would be walking down the aisle with her dad. Kate was in the master bedroom getting ready with Lanie, Martha, and Jenny's help. Rick was in a guest room getting ready. Alexis, Kevin, and Javier were downstairs greeting the guests and getting everyone seated. Judge Markaway was talking to Jim and waiting for Rick to come downstairs so they could get positioned up front under the trellis.

Promptly at noon, the bridesmaids, maid of honor, and ushers made it down the aisle to stand at the front with Rick. When Mendelssohn's March started playing all the guests stood and turned to the end of the aisle to watch Kate and her father walk down together. Kate was radiant and probably the most stunning bride anyone in attendance had ever seen.

Rick could not stop smiling as they approached him. Jim gave Kate a tender kiss on her cheek and whispered, "Your Mom and I are so proud of you. You are the loveliest bride I've ever seen. Be happy." Jim then stepped away as Rick moved forward and took Kate's hand. They moved towards Judge Markaway together but couldn't take their eyes of each other as the Judge started to speak briefly about what marriage means.

Once Judge Markaway was done with his marriage speech he stated that Kate and Rick would be saying their own vows and turned to Rick to start.

Although Rick is usually never at a loss for words he was very nervous and had to take a deep breath before starting his vows to Kate. Rick started, ''Kate, when I first met you I was amazed at your strength, your dedication, and your hotness. You speak for the victims and find them closure. You are an amazing woman and I am a better man for knowing and loving you. I didn't know what love was until I met you and I will be eternally grateful for how you complete me. You are my always."

Kate wiped the tears from her eyes and stated, "Rick, when I first met you I thought you were a nine year old on a sugar rush. I have to admit that I was less than thrilled when you were allowed to follow me for your research but as I got to know you I realized that you were making my days better. I was lost after my mom's death and threw myself into my work. You helped me realize I had more to offer and you also helped me get closure for my mom. I can't imagine another day without you by my side. You are my one and done!"

Rings were then exchanged by the couple and Judge Markaway finally made the statement Rick had been waiting to hear all day – "You may kiss the bride." The guests gave a standing ovation as they kissed and walked back down the aisle as husband and wife.

The guests found their seats at the tables in the tent and waited for their arrival munching on hors d'oeuvres and sipping on champagne while the wedding party was having pictures taken. The DJ announced the wedding party once they were ready to join the rest of the guests. They all sat at the front table. Alexis and Lanie made their speeches. Jim and Martha officially welcomed Rick and Kate, respectively, into their families.

Rick and Kate made their way to the dance floor for their first official dance as husband and wife and as decided before they danced to "In My Veins." Once their song was complete Alexis joined her father and Kate joined hers for the father/daughter dance. Then the floor was opened to all and the true celebration began.

The happy couple mingled, ate, drank, and thanked everyone for coming throughout the afternoon's festivities. By 4PM they discreetly left the tent and changed into their travel clothes. Upon exiting the house for the Rolls Royce that was going to take them to their hotel for the night the guests threw rose petals at them. They finally had their happy ending and were looking forward to their three week private island get away. Life was good and it was only going to get better for the two of them.

**_FIN._**


End file.
